Why was Spalding rail death mum on the tracks?

A 28-year-old mum was killed by a train after she slipped away from her family home and went onto railway tracks near Spalding station.

Bahrathi Palanisamy had left her four-year-old son alone in the house and may have used a brief “window” between her lodger leaving and her husband coming home to venture out on the night of October 7.

Her death went unwitnessed and her body was spotted on the railway tracks the following morning by an East Midlands Trains driver.

An inquest in Boston yesterday (Wednesday) heard Bahrathi was a devoted mum, who had never previously left her son alone.

Bahrathi’s death sparked a police investigation following reports of “a commotion” in Havelock Street, where the family lived, the night she disappeared.

But police checked out the people involved and found them to be friends trying to help after the young mum’s disappearance.

Police investigations and medical examinations ruled out any third party involvement in Bahrathi’s disappearance.

Coroner Dr Murray Spittal concluded that Bahrathi died in circumstances that remain unascertained.

He explained to Bahrathi’s family that his conclusion was the equivalent of the former open verdict coroner’s once recorded.

Earlier, Dr Spittal heard evidence that Bahrathi had never spoken of taking her own life.

He said there was insufficient evidence to record a verdict of suicide or accident.

The inquest heard Bahrathi’s husband, Kamal Jayraman, and their lodger Tamil Bosegandha worked at the BP Garage.

Kamal was on a 2pm-10pm shift on October 7 and Tamil was due to take over from him.

During the evening – at about 7.15pm – Bahrathi called her husband to make arrangements for their evening meal.

He got home from work at about 10.10pm, his wife wasn’t there and their son was asleep.

Mr Jayraman called his wife’s mobile phone, which went to voicemail, and some friends to check if she was with them.

He called police at about 10.50pm to report Bahrathi’s disappearance.

Mr Jayraman said his wife had no history of depression or low mood, although she had been upset by their son’s behavioural problems, which required him to see a speech and language therapist.

In answer to the Coroner’s questions, Mr Jayraman said his wife had never spoken of “going down to the railway lines” but she went by the lines frequently because it was on the route to their son’s school.

Det Insp Paul Coleman, a sergeant in Spalding at the time of Bahrathi’s death, explained how police thoroughly examined reports of a commotion in Havelock Street, checking out vehicles and people involved, but ruled out any third party involvement in Bahrathi’s disappearance and death.

He said there were three possible routes for Bahrathi to take between her home and the station, but there was no CCTV to establish which route she took or how she got onto the lines.

Police established that Mr Bosegandha left the house at about 9.40pm to go to work and believed Bahrathi went out during the “window” between the lodger leaving and her husband arriving home.